WACE ATAR Agricultural Science and Technology case studies
WACE ATAR Agricultural Science and Technology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The WACE ATAR Agricultural Science and Technology course is a Western Australian senior secondary subject examined externally for ATAR ranking. It suits students interested in how food and fibre are produced, from soil and pasture through plant and animal management to the technology, economics and sustainability decisions that shape real farm businesses. The WACE ATAR Agricultural Science and Technology case studies are 5 cases and about 3,874 words.
1Waterlogging and Nitrogen Strategy in a Waterlogged Wheat Paddock
A 120 ha wheat paddock in the Great Southern has received 95 mm of rain in the eight days since sowing. The soil is a duplex clay over impermeable clay, and the lower third of the paddock now has standing water in patches.
816 words, about 4 min2Heat Stress and Shed Design in a Broiler Enterprise
A broiler grower in the Perth hills runs four sheds, each 120 m × 15 m, with a target of 32 kg/m² stocking density at 2.4 kg live weight. During a February heatwave, shed temperatures reached 38°C with 60% relative humidity, and mortality in the oldest flock (35 days) rose to 4% over three days, with birds panting and spreading away from feeders.
773 words, about 4 min3Acidification and Lime Decisions on a Long-Term Pasture
A 300 ha sheep and cattle property in the south-west has been in subterranean clover pasture for 25 years. Soil tests from 0-10 cm show pH (CaCl2) of 4.3 in the topsoil and 4.0 at 10-20 cm, with aluminium saturation at 18% of the cation exchange capacity.
806 words, about 4 min4Variable Rate Nitrogen and Yield Map Interpretation
A 200 ha cropping paddock has three years of yield maps from a combine harvester with a yield monitor, showing a consistent low-yielding zone of 40 ha on a sandy rise and a high-yielding zone of 60 ha on heavier flats. Soil sampling by management zone shows the sandy rise has 12 mg/kg Colwell phosphorus and 8 mg/kg nitrate nitrogen, while the flats have 28 mg/kg phosphorus and 22 mg/kg nitrate nitrogen.
752 words, about 4 min5Enterprise Choice Under Water Constraint and Price Risk
A 500 ha mixed farm has 300 ha of arable land and a water allocation of 400 ML for irrigation. The grower is choosing between three enterprises for the coming season: wheat on 300 ha dryland at a yield of 2.5 t/ha and a price of 340/t, with variable costs of 380/ha; irrigated lucerne on 100 ha using 350 ML, yielding 12 t/ha of hay at 280/t with variable costs of 1,800/ha; or irrigated potatoes on 40 ha using 380 ML, yielding 55 t/ha at 420/t with variable costs of 9,500/ha.
727 words, about 4 min